Teams better keep and eye on Ireland and Co.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/17/teams_better_keep_and_eye_on_i.html

Teams better keep and eye on Ireland and Co.

By Edgar Thompson | Thursday, July 17, 2008, 10:04 AM

GM Jeff Ireland is happy with the front-office’s progress to date, but eager to keep rebuilding the Dolphins.

“I think we’ve accomplished as much as we can at this point,” he said Wednesday night during his weekly interview on 560 WQAM. “But it’s not over yet.”

In the next couple of months, Ireland expects to have plenty of opportunities to reshuffle the Dolphins’ roster as teams whittle theirs down to 53 players.

“If a player comes available that can help us, I can promise you we’ll pick that player up,” Ireland said.

A lot of teams will be thinking that way. But the Dolphins will have the No. 1 claim spot, based on their 1-15 finish last season and position at the top of the draft order.

When a team cuts a player, he has 24 hours to clear waivers. In that time frame, the Dolphins would have first choice whether to sign the player and pick up his contract.

“That’s a very big advantage to have,” he said.

Looking to improve a roster considered to have as little talent as any in the NFL, the Dolphins will be very active combing the waiver wire for needs during training camp, the pre-season and the early parts of the regular season.

The Dolphins also could sign players from other team’s practice squads. He would have to be placed on the 53-man roster and guaranteed three weeks of pay, Ireland said.

In NFL circles, he said, the practice is called “poaching.”

Keeping up with all the potential player additions requires a team to do a lot of homework and keep on its toes in case someone pops up who might be able to help.

“You have a sophisticated tracking system,” Ireland said.

One reason is because decisions will be made based on snippets of pre-season action in the coming weeks or even from a previous season, Ireland said.

“That’s really all you have,” he said.

It will more than enough for the Dolphins’ new regime to make plenty of moves this season.

SI.com’s Mike Lombardi, who has 23 years of NFL experience working in player personnel, said he expects the Dolphins to be more aggressive picking up players than any team in the league.

“If I ran any NFL team, I would think twice before trying to sneak someone through the waiver wire because I expect the Dolphins to be very active in claiming players,” Lombardi wrote. “The Dolphins will lead the league in claims this year and take full advantage of the high claiming spot they earned with their one-win season.”

[Sunstroke]

I'll take any help we can get in the rebuilding process, and this writer is correct...having the #1 spot in the waiver order in the preseason can net you some talented role players.

[SpongeBob_Parcells]

I'LL KEEP AN EYE ON IRELAND AND CO.  AND IF THEY MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES THAT CAMSTACHE MAKES, I WILL TEAR MY HAIR OUT.